The present invention relates to a medical observation system using a scanning medical probe for obtaining image information by scanning a subject, and to a processor for the scanning medical prove.
In general, an electronic-scope is used when a doctor observes a body cavity of a patient. The doctor inserts an electronic-scope into a body cavity of a patient, and guides a tip part of an insertion unit of the electronic-scope to an area around an observation target. Then, an image in the body cavity is shot with a solid state imaging device, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), installed in the tip part of the electronic-scope. The image shot by the solid state imaging device in the body cavity is then transmitted from the electronic-scope to a video processor. In the video processor, the received image is subjected to a predetermined imaging process, and the processed image is then displayed on a monitor. By observing the image displayed on the monitor, the doctor conducts medical diagnosis and treatment.
Recently, to ease a patient's suffering by insertion of an insertion unit of an electronic-scope, a medical probe formed to slenderize an outer diameter thereof, relative to the electronic-scope, by removing a component, such as a solid state imaging device, has been proposed. An observation system employing such a medical probe has also been proposed.
An example of such a medical probe is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,775 (hereafter, referred to as U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,775). The medical probe disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,294,775 is configured to produce resonance on a tip of a single optical fiber to scan on a subject with scanning light. Then, reflected light from the subject is detected and the reflected light is subjected to photoelectric conversion. The converted signal is sequentially output to a video processor. The video processor processes the converted signal to display an image on a monitor. Thus, a doctor is able to conduct medical diagnosis and treatment while observing the obtained image in a body cavity of a patient as in the case of the electronic-scope.